Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Tobacco use

For those of us that do or did use tobacco, why did you start?

Hanco asked this on another thread, and I thought it was a damned good question.

Me? Dip was first. High school sports; there were some other players that dipped, and eventually we all did. A buzz before the game, and there ya go. Smoking came next; parties and had one with a beer or something. Just became a habit then and spread. Chew came during the Marines. Easier to have a chew in than smoke, with better flavor than dip, and seemed to last longer.

Quit them all years ago, and damned glad I did.

Didn't start until after high school.Never less than two packs a day for 51 years. Wish I'd never started.

I started off chewing as a little kid. From about 15 to 31, I dipped. I would go through a can of Cope about every 3 days. I quit back in '95. Smoked for about 3 or 4 years. Quit in 2000 and went for several year with not tobacco use at all. These days I smoke a cigar once a week or 10 days. Although it's been a couple weeks or better since I burned one. I have to be in the mood.

I snuck around in high school and college and smoked cigarettes whenever I could bum one. My dad smoked cigarettes, cigars, a pipe, and chewed tobacco, but was dead set against me smoking while I was still at home. I started smoking cigarettes after I was married. Never smoked over a pack a day, as I would limit myself to that. Quit over 20 years, cold turkey, just laid them down and never picked one up again. I have never chewed nor dipped, as I hate that crap in my mouth. Besides, my wife said if I did, no more kisses for me.

I grew tobacco for almost 30 years. It was my main cash crop when I was depending on farming for a living. I always said that I smoked in order to show support for the crop I grew. It was an amazing change after I quit smoking. Things smelled better, and food tasted better. I don't like smelling smoke on people now days, nor do I like being around people who do smoke. BUT...I view it as their right to do so, especially if they're on their own turf, or someplace that allows them to use it. I also don't want to be around people who consume too much alcohol, and can't stand a damn drunk. As far as I'm concerned, it should have been alcohol that's been banned in most places, instead of tobacco.

I started with cigs in high school. We all smoked. I smoked through college then about 2 years after. I got broncitis bad on year and had to stop for a couple months as I couldnt keep the smoke down. When I started up again they tasted like crap. So then I started on black and mild cigars. After 5 years of those they started tasting like crap so I started with dip. I dipped for for ten years. I started to have some tooth and gum problems so I stopped that. I been tobaco free for about 8 years now. Seems that issues not necessarily caused by tobaco use but made use unpleasant saved me.i dont miss it or crave it in any way.

started smoking when I was a lad. All the cool kids were doing that. Adult smoking percent was near 50%. There were no warnings that doing so might not be prudent, from a health standpoint. Common sense though, should have tipped everyone off.
I quit in 1978. Was smoking three packs of non filtered PallMall and Camels a day. Decided it was time to stop. Put them down, never looked back. I found cold turkey was fairly easy.

I started when I was 15 'cuz it was the cool thing to do.

Red Man, Skoal, and Copenhagen until I was upper 30's.
Been tobacco free for 20 years this year and don't miss it one bit.
Just hoping I quit soon enough to avoid any health issues later on.

mine mirrors Sean's except i started in junior high.

Started at 15 in fishing camp, all the oldtimers smoked. Dating my wife, she smoked so it became more than just occasional. Smoked until 8 years ago, quit cold turkey, wife finally quit when the granddaughter was yet to be born 5 years ago.

Other people smoking doesn't bother me, but I'm not even going to puff a cigar in camp because I know I'll start up again even now.

I killed a bunch of animals archery smelling like a cig, stomped up a bunch of mountains no problem. I don't crave it but I miss it.

Kent

Ft. Sill. Basic training.....

Pall Mall reds.

Red Man when I began playing baseball in HS and then softball in college. Chewed for about 20 years.

Saw an ad about mouth cancer and laid it down cold turkey.

Got drafted in '69, got put on a train in Minneapolis with about a hundred other guys headed to Sea-Tac and Fort Lewis. It was a 3 day trip so you got to know some of your fellow maggots. I'd say about 50% us smoked.

By the end of Basic--everyone smoked.

Exactly the same. BUT I do not believe I would have ever started had my Dad not smoked. Like many others my first cigs came right out of my Dad's Pall Malls. Not blaming my Dad BTW!!

Gave all tobacco products up well over 20 years ago. Best decision I ever made. Also, my company via benefits pays me not to smoke.

Good thread!!

Watching someone you love die from the effects of smoking is strong incentive to avoid destructive behavior for some.

Dipped for nearly 40 yrs. Started with RedMan, then Days Work and Brown Mule working in the fields with the older kids. Switched to Cope freshman year in high school.

Been quit for 1583 days now. Nicotine is quite an insidious bitch.

Red Man in high school... Skoal short cut at about 20... dipped for 30 yrs... quit the Skoal about 15 years ago... no tobacco since

Started chewing in junior high. Mostly because it seemed cool and adult like. Quit when I was in my early 30's and my wife was pregnant with our first child. I didn't want my kids growing up with a dad who was addicted to chewing.

Never got into smoking. Seemed like more trouble than it was worth.

Both are nasty expensive habits. Really glad I quit, but it was tough for the first couple years.

Watched my dad hack up his lungs most days when I was at home, so I never started. Lung cancer killed him at a young age.
It was real easy not to start.

Started smoking earlier than I care to admit to[peer pressure-brothers & friends].
Added dip later on.
Gave up the smoking not long after son was born and after seeing grandparents everywhere lugging air tanks around which somewhat hindered their ability to actually play with those grandchildren.
One of the days I'll beat the dipping.

At 30cts a pack in the 1960s, I couldn't afford
not to smoke.